Jan 13 (DM) Alcohol & Drug Information Centre (ADIC) revealed that a 20% excise tax increase on alcohol last year led to a staggering reduction of 8.3 million litres in alcohol consumption while boosting govt revenue by Rs. 11.6 billion. Welcoming the latest hike on alcohol and tobacco taxes, ADIC Executive Director Sampath de Seram said the move is a significant step toward reducing public health risks. He noted that such measures align with recommendations from WHO to discourage more..

Jan 13 (NW) Four newly appointed Supreme Court Justices took their oaths of office before Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat. Accordingly, Court of Appeal Justices R.M.S. Rajakaruna, Menaka Wijesundara, Sampath B. Abeykoon, and M.S.K.B. Wijeratne were sworn in as SC Justices during the ceremony presided over by the Prez. Secretary to the Prez, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, was also in attendance at this occasion. more..

Jan 13 (Island) Alleging that the CEB had sought to put off the scheduled power tariff revision, on the basis of false data and assessment provided to the PUCSL, prominent SJB trade union activist Ananda Palitha said that the PUC could grant as much as 35% reduction in rates. Power & Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody told Parliament last week that electricity tariffs would not be reduced soon but govt had decided not to increase electricity more..

Jan 13 (Island) Interest rates play a pivotal role in the financial landscape, significantly impacting micro and small businesses as well as marginal borrowers. Some banks charge as high as 20% of interest from small business owners and self-employed people for loan amounts below Rs. one million, given out for a period of 2-3 years. “While this might seem like mere numbers, interest rates can profoundly impact a small business’s survival or the very endurance of own-account workers more..

Jan 13 (AD) Police investigations into the abduction of a schoolgirl in Daulagala, Kandy, have revealed that the primary suspect is a close relative—the son of the girl’s father’s sister. Police said that the suspect abducted the girl following a disagreement over their proposed marriage. Initially, both families had consented to the union, but the girl’s father later withdrew his approval, triggering the conflict, according to police. The schoolgirl, a resident of Handessa, was abducted on more..

Jan 13 (DM) Uni of Sri J'pura announced the appointment of its illustrious alumnus, Prof. Patrick Mendis as a distinguished visiting professor and honorary fellow in Dec 2024. A trailblazer in education, diplomacy, and leadership, Prof. Mendis serves as a presidential advisor at the US Dept of Defence and has been recognized for his global contributions to academia and public service. Born in Polonnaruwa, Prof. Mendis was educated at Uni of Sri J'pura, Uni of Minnesota & Harvard. more..

Jan 13 (SO) Govt is confident of completing all prior actions before the IMF board meets in February, said Senior Advisor to the Prez, Duminda Hulangamuwa. He said the enactment of two Bills and the 2025 Budget will take place before the IMF board meeting. IMF reached a staff-level agreement with the Govt on the third review in Nov 2024. IMF Executive Board is expected to meet next month for the final approval of the review of SL’s EFF arrangement which would provide SL with access to more..

Jan 13 (ST) Court of Appeal (CA) President Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna is to step down from his position, the Sunday Times learns. The decision comes in the wake of plans by the NPP Govt to move an impeachment motion against him. It is learnt that Justice Karunarathna is to submit his resignation at the end of this month. He was due to retire on June 16 this year upon reaching 63, retirement age for Appeal Court judges. more..

Jan 13 (DN) Sri Lanka finished the New Zealand ODI series with a superb 140 run victory in their third and final game played at Auckland. Sri Lanka recorded ODI win after nine years and it was a superb all round performance by Sri Lanka team led by Charith Asalanka. Skipper Charith Asalanka said I think it’s always great to make a comeback with this type of victory. Unfortunately, we lost first two games but the way boys played in third ODI it was a pleasure to watch. more..

Jan 13 (SO) Two young golfers, Jevahn Sathasivam and Kaya Daluwatte, have earned an incredible opportunity to compete in the Faldo Series Grand Final in Vietnam after winning the Faldo Series Junior Golf Tournament SL Regional Finals held at the Royal Colombo Golf Club that brought together some of the best junior golfers in SL and India. Kaya Daluwatte’s victory was one of the most impressive performances of the tournament. Not only did she win her age category (Girls 17-21), but more..

Jan 13 (NW) Minister Samantha Vidyarathna has accused Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Director General for Community Affairs, of illegally acquiring 18 acres of land belonging to the Dept of Wildlife and Forest Conservation. Minister said several complaints had been received from various parties, including environmentalists, regarding a racket involving land at the Bogahapelessa Forest more..

Jan 13 (FT) Tickets for the Galle Literary Festival’s events are now available, offering guests the chance to join a vibrant four-day celebration of creativity, culture, and engaging conversation. From Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 Feb, the south coast of Sri Lanka will host over 100 events featuring famed local and international writers and speakers. This year’s Festival promises a diverse program, including complimentary performances, insightful panel discussions, and culinary delights, more..

Jan 13 (CT) The Colombo High Court, on Friday (10), ordered to lift the foreign travel ban on former Minister Champika Ranawaka, who was indicted over the hit-and-run incident which took place in 2016, until 20 April. The Court, considering the plea made by the defence counsel, who submitted that former Minister had to travel overseas for a personal matter, lifted the travel ban. In the incident, the vehicle bearing registration No. WP KT – 7545 in which former Minister Ranawaka was more..

Jan 13 (CT) Modifying vehicles is not a crime, said SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, referring to the Police’s action to remove certain parts from vehicles under the Clean SL initiative. He stated in Parliament that measures such as preventing vehicle modification affect the automobile industry. “The livelihoods of a large number of people depend on it, so this industry must be protected,” he said. “It is ridiculous for a ruling party MP to raise an issue about the Clean SL programme in this House. more..

Jan 13 (Island) JVP-led NPP govt is drawing heavy flak for its vitriolic attacks on the media. It has taken umbrage at media reports critical of its MPs and much-advertised programmes like the Clean SL initiative. It is apparently labouring under the misconception that the media is all out to sabotage its work and turn public opinion against it. There is hardly any need for the media to do so; the govt has amply demonstrated its inefficiency & incompetence much to the resentment of the public. more..

Jan 13 (TM) Sri Lanka is facing an escalating crisis in the management of confiscated vehicles, leading to significant financial, logistical, and environmental consequences. Customs officials and Govt authorities including Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Kodithuwakku have acknowledged the severity of the issue and outlined the pressing need for reforms. Govt is seeking a mechanism to dispose of the vehicles stuck more..

Jan 13 (DN) Duruthu Poya marks the first full moon of the year, celebrating Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka over 2,600 years ago. As recorded in the Mahavamsa, Buddha’s visit aimed to bring peace to the warring Yakkha and Naga tribes in Mahiyangana, Uva Province. His message of non-violence introduced Buddhism to the island, and on this sacred day, followers engage in meditation and good deeds. For over 26 centuries, Sri Lanka has hosted diverse communities. more..

Jan 13 (FT) Bank of Ceylon’s (BOC) Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) have been upgraded to ‘CCC+’ from ‘CCC-’ by Fitch Ratings (Fitch) in their latest rating review. Further, the Viability Rating (VR) was also upgraded to ‘ccc+’ from ‘ccc-’ and affirmed Short-Term IDR at ‘C’. According to the latest announcement made by Fitch upgrading BOC’s int'l ratings, Fitch has considered the following factors in order to support their rating action; more..

Jan 13 (Island) The word Ahimsa, derived from Sanskrit, means non-harm or non-injury and is often translated into English as non-violence. The dictionary defines it as the ethical principle of not causing harm to other living beings. From its very inception, Buddhism has had a deep commitment to non-violence. Ahimsa represents a profound ethical principle in Buddhist thought just as in many other religious traditions. Dhammapada states Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. more..

Jan 13 (TM) The Clean Sri Lanka campaign, the first major initiative of the newly-elected NPP Govt, has garnered considerable attention across the country. However, this attention is mixed, as the campaign and the Govt face both praise and criticism. While the intentions behind the initiative may be noble, its timing and execution raise questions about whether it truly addresses the pressing needs of SL. It is also indicative of the new Govt’s lack of governance experience. more..

Jan 13 (CT) The destruction caused by wild animals to crop cultivations, including paddy fields, poses a significant threat to the country’s economic stability and the livelihoods of thousands of rural communities that depend on agriculture for survival. The current Govt has made every possible effort to find a lasting solution to this issue, said Rohana Rajapaksa, Commissioner General of the Department of Agrarian Development. more..

Jan 13 (CT) Last week, news appeared titled Inter-linked mechanism mooted for lands. Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation Dr. Susil Ranasinghe was quoted in it. Ranasinghe rightly lamented the absence of a proper land policy that creates disorganization of institutions involved in land use, i.e., due probably to land-related issues created by the Forest Dept or Railway Dept causing complications in decision-making. Hurrah, in recent times this is the first attempt in my memory more..

Jan 13 (ST) The gulf between what the NPP said on the campaign trail and what it is saying now in govt, was repeatedly highlighted by the opposition when Parliament debated the country’s Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report – 2024. Govt drew attention to the sacrifices made by ordinary people in the country’s economic recovery from the depths of bankruptcy. The opposition though, countered that the govt had not followed through with many of the pledges it had made to provide relief to those same people. more..

Jan 13 (SO) Minister Sunil Handunneththi shared his perspectives on a wide range of issues facing the industries and SME sectors and elaborated on his plans to attract foreign investments to develop the sectors. He said they have created a single window system to provide all facilities to exporters. They have educated potential investors and unlike in the past, the investors need not run after politicians and offer them bribes to get more..

Jan 13 (DM) Local govt elections have not been held in Sri Lanka since 2018. Elections were scheduled to be held in 2022. They were postponed to 2023 on a claim that the country’s financial situation made holding of elections impossible. Despite Court rulings, polls have been further postponed. After the recent victory at the Prez and Parliamentary elections, recently elected President Dissanayake has indicated local govt polls would be held prior to April this year. more..

Jan 13 (DM) While everyone is obsessed with the country’s economic crash, the consequences of the linguistic crash we suffered from 1956 onwards is just as serious. Even if the economy is salvaged at some point, SL will continue to suffer the devastating long term consequences of that other, more cerebral crash in the decades to come. First, let me get my own personal perspective across. English is my second language. Having studied at govt, Sinhala-medium schools from start to finish more..

Jan 12 (AD) Govt has announced new excise duty rates for vehicle imports, effective immediately, in a special gazette notification. This marks a significant step as the country resumes vehicle imports in February after a five-year suspension. Gazette notification was signed by the Prez. Under the new policy, excise duties range from 200% to 300% for vehicles that are not more than 10 years old from their date of manufacture. more..

Jan 12 (DM) In a bid to address the salt shortage, chairman of National Salt Limited Gayan Wellala said plans are underway to fully activate the saltern including one in Elephant Pass in the north by March, this year to increase production of salt in the country. Mr. Wellala told the Daily Mirror that the Northern area salterns including the Elephant Pass that have been inactive since the civil war and is still not completely restored are being developed to help increase production. more..

Jan 12 (EN) Sri Lanka’s worker remittances hit the highest in six years as more people sent foreign currency from abroad with a record number from the labour force leaving the country. The 2024 full year remittances rose 10.1% to $6.57 billion, from nearly $6 billion in the previous year. In Dec 2024, the remittances gained 7.7% to $613.8 million compared to $569.7 million in the same month previous year. Worker remittances are one of the top foreign exchange revenue earners for SL more..

Jan 12 (TM) The ongoing red rice shortage has particularly impacted the Hindu community, which is struggling to obtain the essential ingredient needed for upcoming Thai Pongal celebrations. As the festival approaches, many Hindus are finding it increasingly difficult to secure the red rice required for their traditional rituals and offerings. Deputy Minister R.M. Jayawardana attributed the shortage to previous rice more..

Jan 12 (TM) There have been no reports thus far of Sri Lankans being affected by the Los Angeles wildfires in the US. The Los Angeles wildfires, which ignited on Wednesday (8), have caused widespread devastation, claiming 11 lives so far and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. The fires, fuelled by dry conditions and intense Santa Ana winds, rapidly spread across Altadena and neighbouring areas, consuming over 25,000 acres of land and destroying hundreds of homes and more..

Jan 12 (DM) SL is set to expand homeopathy as part of its healthcare system, focusing on making it more affordable and accessible for the public. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa shared this vision during his visit to the Welisara Homeopathy Hospital, a govt-run facility. The hospital provides daily treatment for conditions such as respiratory issues, skin diseases, diabetes, arthritis and women’s and children’s health problems. It caters to 200 outpatients each day and operates a 24/7 inpatient unit. more..